This was one of those gigs that I was leaving as a last minute decision whether to go or not. Picking up ‘Utilitarian’ belatedly a few weeks back drew me towards going to see Napalm Death, while a week of man flu beforehand, on top of a month-long cough, was beginning to make the prospect of an early night just as appealing. After emailing our editor, Pete, about my situation on the day itself, I was finally 100% certain that I should go. According to him, a dose of these two bands should ‘blow anything out of your system’. He wasn’t wrong.
While things didn’t start off inspiringly – a forty minute wait in the venue, on my lonesome, drinking alcohol-free beer – Blockheads finally hit the stage at 20:45. Their abrasive blasting speed arrived like a gift from the gods following a slew of 80s commercial rock which had been poured endlessly out of the PA during that prolonged wait. Vocalist Xav looked the very antithesis of such gentleness, with his bandana and Poison Idea shirt, exploding like Napalm-era Lee Dorrian. Beside him, both guitarist and bassist contributed their own bursts of fury, as did drummer, Nico, who must have the endurance of a top athlete. The tunes came thick and (very) fast, including the likes of ‘Human Oil’, ‘Media Warfare’ and ‘Bastards’ from the latest album. There’s not really much to add other than by the time they had finished, I really was feeling better thanks to this adrenaline fuelled grinding fury. Although it’s worth mentioning that the big screen flashing images of doom and stage-diving/moshing antics of the vocalist certainly enhanced the experience.
Well, that was my first live encounter with pure grindcore since Nasum’s last UK gig with Mieszko at Colchester Arts Centre. Incredibly, it had also been sixteen years since my last dose of Napalm Death live – when I was still at school(…). By the time they were about to hit the stage, my sense of anticipation was high; the crowd had been reserved but lively enough, and the sound had been pretty good so far. When the four horsemen of the grind apocalypse did appear with ‘Multinational Corporations’, however, two things became apparent: one, Mitch Harris’ guitar was quite inaudible; two, the crowd was largely blank. As tends to happen around these parts at metal gigs, the audience was content to observe each track in solemnity, cheer briefly at the end, and then create a deafening silence before the next track begins. Why this happens specifically at metal gigs around Luxembourg, I have no idea. In fairness, there were a number of rowdies at the front and, as is generally the case, the crowd gradually warmed up as the set unfolded. Barney’s schoolteacher quip of ‘Don’t do it again!’ during one of the silences poked gentle fun at this peculiarity.
It wasn’t all bad though – far from it, in fact. Aside from that one atmospheric aspect, and a misplaced sax tape during ‘Narcoleptic’ from the soundman, the guitar issues were resolved during the excellent ‘The Wolf I Feed’. By ‘Pride Assassin’, the mix was as good as it was going to get. Even if the end result was far from immaculate, the excellent tracks and animated nature of the musicians did everything to draw me in. Having not seen Barney Greenway with his tidy haircut, it was quite surreal to see this respectable looking fellow raging about the stage as every riff and beat surged through him. Elsewhere, Mitch Harris and Shane Embury defined the term ‘cool’, while Danny Herrera ceaselessly abused his drumkit in the background. I had forgotten just how definitive this band is. At Sonisphere France the other week, seeing the likes of Motörhead and Maiden inspired a bit of pride in coming from the old country, but witnessing Napalm Death was the real deal: something you can really be proud of. From classics such as ‘Suffer the Children’ and ‘If the Truth Be Known’ to the more surprising likes of ‘Lowpoint’, it was all pure positive energy.
Near the end of the set came a batch of ‘Scum’ tracks and the ever-reliable Dead Kennedys cover, at which point the pressure in my ears equalised and suddenly everything was twice as loud, no longer muffled. And there I was blaming the soundman… Ending the set came the ‘Scum’ epic ‘Siege of Power’. As I hurtled out of the venue to get to the car, my ears now ringing, I was happily reminded of the tinnitus that afflicted my young ears the only other time I saw Napalm Death. Hopefully it won’t be another sixteen years before I get to see them again, and thanks to Dr Pete Woods for his incisive medical advice!
An added bonus tonight was receiving a free ticket to the extreme metal art exhibition in Luxembourg City which tonight’s concert was tied in with. I’m definitely intending to go, and if you’re interested, you can find out more here:
http://www.casino-luxembourg.lu/en/Exhibitions/Altars-of-Madness
Napalm Death setlist:
Multinational Corporations
Everyday Pox
Narcoleptic
The Wolf I Feed
Pride Assassin
From Enslavement to Obliteration
Fascist Control
Suffer the Children
?
If the Truth Be Known
Lowpoint
When All Is Said and Done
Leper Colony
?
The Code Is Red… Long Live the Code
Taste the Poison
Scum
Life?
Deceiver
The Kill
You Suffer
Nazi Punks Fuck Off
Protection Racket
A Gag Reflex
Siege of Power
(Review by Jamie)
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